Event

From the solid inner core to the crust Earth have different temperature and pressure, with different chemical compositions and physical properties of minerals. When subjected to impact-produced shock waves (i.e. lightning or meteor), minerals in target rocks may transform to high-pressure and temperature phases. Fulgurite is a natural glass generated when lightning strikes sands, rocks, or soils. Fulgurite forms with an energy density within an order of magnitude of that of meteor impacts, and displays the effects of impact-related processes owing to lightning. The lack of mineralogical and chemical information of rock fulgurites can be attributed to the physical complexity of the phenomena as well as the challenges faced when considering mineralogical and chemical changes in a material under non-equilibrium conditions. The advance knowledge of the shock wave-mineral interactions is essential to understand the mitigation of lightning strike thermal damages, design better lightning protection systems, and understand the nature of lightning environment near and at the point of a direct strike. The aim of this talk is to provide insights into the conditions occurring as a result of a lightning strike from qualitative and quantitative mineralogical and chemical data on rock fulgurites from Mt. Mottarone, Baveno (Piedmont, Italy).